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CEHD announces changes to admissions requirements for Elementary Education Program

Radford University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is changing admission requirements for its Elementary Education Program which leads to teaching licensure for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

"Recognizing the call for raising the quality and performance of teachers in our nation's classrooms, the Elementary Education Program faculty in RU's CEHD has modified its admissions requirements for future elementary teachers to require a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) for all university coursework," said Kenna Colley, director of CEHD's School of Teacher Education and Leadership (STEL).

Required program courses include the content areas of mathematics, history, natural sciences, English and subject areas that encompass all the PK-6 curricular areas.

Teacher Education faculty initiated the GPA change based on the need for teachers to be highly skilled classroom experts in the content areas, Colley noted.

The RU Elementary Education Program has a legacy for teacher education that dates back to 1910. It is known for its established rigor and recently was recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The NCTQ's inaugural Teacher Prep Review ranked RU as one of only 13 programs in the United States with "multiple strong programs."

RU teacher candidates study evidence-based practices and benefit from high levels of modeling from professors and qualified mentor teachers in public schools. Full year internships in authentic PK-6 grade classrooms with full time Ph.D.- level supervisors are another hallmark of RU's Elementary Education Program.

Graduation from the Elementary Education Program can be achieved in four years with a fifth year master's degree option in Curriculum and Instruction or Special Education.